March 2020 ISSN 1864-3973 ARTWORK: GT/JOHANNA TRAPP IN THIS ISSUE A special section marking three-quarters Nation unbuilding Party crashing of a century of peace, including German President Frank-Walter Europe and the US have failed in Syria Angela Merkel’s CDU is in disarray Steinmeier’s historic speech at Yad Vashem. Syria’s pseudo-socialist, neo-capitalist CDU party leadership at the federal level Pages 11 - 15 BY KRISTIN HELBERG economic system has engendered a sym- BY PETER H. KOEPF remains steadfast, insisting that both biosis of entrepreneurs and regime rep- options are out of the question. In other fter almost nine years of civil war, resentatives. More specifically, the liber- mmediately following this year’s words, the party is sorely lacking a com- World series the crisis in and around Syria has alization driven by Assad paired with the Munich Security Conference, Stefan pass. Graham Allison and Joseph not been resolved. Nonetheless, war economy of the past few years has Kornelius, a commentator for the In the wake of this embarrassment, the Nye have different takes on A I it is clear who the winners and losers created a merger of wealth and political- Süddeutsche Zeitung, reflected a growing CDU’s poll numbers have gone from bad how the West should con- in the conflict are. Among the winners power structures. Crony capitalists loyal to concern felt by observers of Germany to catastrophic. The federal party leader front China. Ian Bremmer are the Syrian regime, Russia, Iran and the regime benefit from the privatization of and many conference attendees regarding had to resign and the party seems to be and Robert Malley explain even Turkey, to a certain extent. These public property, from smuggling and from the political situation in Germany: “Is the breaking up into a Christian-liberal fac- the West’s tensions with countries have always known what they monopolies in the service sector. In other anchor of Europe, the lighthouse of free- tion and a so-called conservative wing – Iran and Russia. wanted, have proven ready to do anything words, power and money are bound to each dom, the savior of the West on the verge the latter comprising those who, just like Pages 6 - 9 to get what they want, and have been able other in modern Syria. This fact should be of becoming a new Trumpistan?” the AfD, reject Merkel’s liberal politics, to adapt their strategies to the dynam- borne in mind when it comes to handing Some spoke of what they saw as Wei- particularly with regard to the environ- Trade deadline ics of the war. Among the losers are the out humanitarian aid and supporting recon- mar-era conditions on the horizon, that ment, refugees and gender policies. Donald Trump predicted United States and Europe, who champi- struction efforts there. is, a further fragmentation of the party Today, the number of voices insisting he would win so many oned the desires of Syrians citizens for a While entire regions of Syria remain in system similar to what occurred in Ger- that Angela Merkel should be held respon- trade deals, his followers life of freedom and dignity but did so in ruin, the Syrian pound continues to lose many between 1919 and 1933. Following sible for this misery is on the rise. Calls might get bored. Alexander a half-hearted manner and without any value and UN figures show more than 80 World War I, the country found itself for the chancellor to resign and for elec- Hagelüken explains why tangible plan. percent of Syrians living in poverty, the in a situation that led to a string of new tions to choose a new candidate to take the president might have As this gap between its words and deeds Assad regime continues to focus exclusively coalitions, followed by the rapid col- over the CDU party chairmanship and the to pardon himself for his grew, the West gambled away its cred- on its followers and supporters in an effort lapse of each new government alliance chancellor candidacy in the next election prognosis. ibility. With its system of international to further secure its power. In the case of and, ultimately, to the fatal hope that an are getting louder and louder. Page 17 agreements, moral Aleppo, UN funds authoritarian, How did it come principles and dem- are not directed nationalist gov- to this? Put that in your pipe ocratically legiti- toward the most ernment formed Back in 2015, and smoke it mized institutions, The current devastated resi- by the Nazi party An increasing the AfD and its Nord Stream 2 was almost the West proved dential areas in would be able supporters were ready to deliver gas from capable neither of state of affairs the east of the to re-establish a number of already chant- Russia to Germany. André helping the Syr- city, which used to sense of order. ing “Merkel must Wolf on why the US – and ians nor of ending in Syria is as it be administered Are these fears Germans refuse to go!” At that time, some European countries the war. The reality by opposition justified today? It the economy was – are trying to block the we must now face always was, forces; instead, the would certainly trust the country’s stable, Merkel project altogether. in the case of the money is flowing appear that the last had stoically Page 18 Syrian conflict is only worse to areas populated remaining Volk- big-tent parties steered Germany that liberal democ- by those loyal to spartei, or big-tent through the finan- Tree huggers versus racy has failed, and the regime. In the party, the Christian cial crisis and Neo-Calvinists autocracy has triumphed. This outcome is south of Damascus, in an area marked by Democratic Union (CDU), is now head- the CDU was polling at more than How to save the planet destined to have far-reaching consequences the ruins of bombed-out middle-class and ing for an implosion similar to that of the 40 percent. “Then came the refu- from climate change doom? – for Syrians, the Middle East, Europe and working-class neighborhoods, the city Social Democratic Party (SPD) in the past gee crisis, and with it, the beginning of Julia Boek tells us what’s the world. administration is building luxury resorts several years. The most recent evidence of the decline of the CDU,” noted Niko- wrong with the heated Syrian president Bashar al-Assad remains rather than social housing. Former resi- this came last month in Thuringia, when las Busse in the Frankfurter Allgemeine debates in Germany. in power and is set to regain control of the dents are being expropriated and/or com- CDU deputies joined with the right wing- Sonntagszeitung. Merkel’s successor, he Page 19 entire country in the coming months. In pensated at ridiculously low costs by the ers from the Alternative for Germany argued, “would certainly not be able to Idlib, he will do so by force of arms, and in government. (AfD) to elect a 5-man faction from the avoid distancing themselves from Merkel Missionary positions the northeast, he will do so by means of a This kind of activity is immune to outside liberal FDP party to the office of Minister on the issue of migration policy.” Evangelical churches are gradual takeover of Kurdish self-govern- influence because the behavior itself guar- President of that state. It was a regional But this approach is too one-dimen- opening franchises in ment. In other words, the current state antees the survival of Syria’s rulers. After political fiasco with far-reaching conse- sional. The reasons why an apparently Germany. Nana Brink of affairs in Syria is as it always was, only decades of being under the regime’s thumb, quences for the whole country. growing segment of the population no enters the first ring of hell worse. society, state institutions and the private It has become clear that a small but longer trusts Germany’s more established to report from inside a Saddleback Church mega Assad’s reign hinges on loyalty to the sector form a close-knit network of interde- potentially growing segment of the CDU parties are much more diverse. event in Berlin. regime, which he secures through a system pendencies. Any real concessions – such as has found common ground with the AfD, Surveys have shown that roughly half Page 20 of clientelism and enforces by means of fear. depriving the secret services of power and not only in the states of the former East of the citizens living in eastern German This results in his two strongest pillars of ushering in freedom of expression, freedom Germany, and is now willing to engage in states are only “in part” satisfied with support coming from wealthy businessmen of the press and an independent judiciary – talks with their counterparts in the AfD democracy; the rest indicate that they Comedy Zentral For a few days every year, and a far-reaching intelligence apparatus. would result in a system failure that would as to where cooperation might be pos- are much more dissatisfied than satisfied. Germans try to be funny. Simply put, those who support the regime threaten the survival of the rulers in Damas- sible. In line with the AfD’s parliamentary And the cause of this goes far beyond the In the latest entry in our are rewarded, and those who reject it are cus. By its very nature, the Syrian regime group leader in the Bundestag, Alexander refugee policy. series on Zee Germans, punished. itself is incapable of instituting effective Gauland, this small group of CDU rep- Why does an increasing number of Ger- J.J.